On Saturday, a 14,000-square-foot heated tent will take over Left Hand Brewing's parking lot and a myriad of aerialists, musicians and master brewers will congregate under the Big Top for an eve of dark fun and velvety brews.

In its fifth year, Nitro Fest remains the only festival in the world to exclusively feature nitrogenated beer — a process where a larger percentage of nitrogen gas is used in the carbonation process, creating a creamy end-result and a distinct mouthfeel. Nitro Fest will feature 27 U.S. breweries and nine international names. The tradition continues with a macabre theme of "Voodoo Masquerade" — a November extension of Halloween — where skull-faced artists dance among corseted hoopers.

"Nitro Fest delivers an extremely unusual experience," said Eric Kean, community outreach and events manager for Left Hand Brewing. "We dial in a whole bunch of entertainment. We provide a full slate of performances, from stilt walkers to fire dancers to a variety of other surprises to make this event unlike any other."

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While local Colorado breweries Wibby, Boulder Beer, Mountain Sun, Oskar Blues, New Belgium, Upslope, among others, will have a presence at the event, the amount of international participants is sure to impress.

"People are continuing to experiment with different ways to pull off nitro beers," said Kean."We have brewers coming from parts of Europe where brewing is very traditional, and then others from Hungary and Croatia are really experimental."

Great Leap Brewing, out of Beijing, China, will make the nearly 6,500-mile journey to Longmont to deliver a highly anticipated beer crafted with unusual ingredients.

"From our humble beginnings in October 2010, Great Leap Brewing's philosophy has always been to create uniquely Chinese styles of craft beer rather than simply recreate craft beer styles from other regions," said Jimmy Selent, events and communications manager for Great Leap Brewing. "Our Honey Ma Gold — the first beer we ever created that's infused with honey and Sichuan peppercorns — was exactly what we had in mind when it comes to incorporating the rich culinary history of China into our beers. The nitrogenized format is a smooth and creamy golden ale that contains a nice zesty 'ma' flavor from the peppercorns."

Breweries from Italy, South Korea and Japan will also be among the hand-selected participants at Saturday's event.

"This is Great Leap Brewing's second year in a row to be invited by Left Hand Brewing to attend Nitro Fest and it's an honor to be included by them, as well as in a list of so many fine breweries from around the U.S. and the rest of the world," said Selent. "Whereas nitrogenized beer styles were previously almost solely limited to dark beers, in recent years they have expanded into all sorts of different styles and we are looking forward to seeing the creativity everyone has put into their brews for this festival."

The popularity of nitro beers has grown due to its malty finish and thick head, composed of tiny bubbles. No longer just reserved for a dry Irish stout, nitrogen has been used to make certain IPAs — and even wheat ales reach new levels in the brewing process.

"Any product that is of a high quality will find a market to enjoy it," said Selent. "This might take longer for some products than others, but as long as you are dedicated to honing your craft and producing things of value, people will recognize it."

Groove, funk and flash

Unexpected notes of raspberry, maple bacon, salted caramel, cranberry and rock candy surface among the roster of brews being poured at Nitro Fest. But no soiree would be complete without an inspired soundtrack to match the exceptional flavor found in every pint.

Big Something, a six-piece jam band hailing from North Carolina, will be throwing down groove-rich tunes. MarchFourth, a Portland-based marching band comprised of 20 musicians, artisans and dancers, will also be bringing the trippy carnival vibes.

"MarchFourth is definitely influenced by the New Orleans brass band tradition, so a 'Voodoo Masquerade' theme is right up our alley," said Dan Stauffer, founding member, singer, cymbal player and tour manager of MarchFourth. "I think we also match up perfectly with one of our favorite states, Colorado, where people love the outdoors, good beer and good times. Nitro Fest looks to be all that and more."

Delivering an all-encompassing, adrenaline-fueled ride of aural delight, these zany individuals are a little bit Steampunk and a whole lot of circus side-show. Attending a live gig is a lot like being on a nonstop carousel ride of funk and flash.

"If you haven't seen us, I think you are in for an unusual treat," said Stauffer. "We're a rare blend of funk- and rock-calibrated madness, served up with costumes and acrobatics and extra sauce."

While excited to bring his unique brand of showmanship to the Longmont stage, Stauffer is also eager to try the latest contributions put forth by some of the world's most innovative brewers.

"I moved to Portland 20-some years ago, when it was one of the few places you could actually get a wide variety of beers outside of your typical macro-beers, Guinness and Sierra Nevada," said Stauffer. "Beer-vana! And it still is that. So great to have grown up in this band doing Beer Camp America, Tour de Fats and Oktoberfests. Glad to add Nitro Fest to my belt. Recently, I have been into some of the farmhouse ales, saisons and sour beers. I guess I am kind of wide-ranging and impressed by America's breadth of beer at this point."

As if unlimited tastings of artfully-crafted beer and captivating performances wasn't incentive enough to attend, festival-goers will give back just by taking in the night's varied offerings. With proceeds going to Left Hand Brewing Foundation, which will then be distributed to area nonprofits, savoring a cold one never felt so satisfying.

"With all of our benefits, LHB doesn't take a dime of profit," said Kean. "That's something we want to see become more common. We see it as an opportunity to grow the community and make Longmont great."

Formed in the early-'90s, Left Hand Brewing has grown from a humble, small-batch distributer to a world-recognized brand synonymous with quality products and philanthropic contributions.

While fan favorites"Wake Up Dead" and "Chia Milk Stout" will be on hand, LHB also plans to unveil several other top-secret nitro selections at this year's Nitro Fest.

"Seeing the average beer consumer getting excited about craft beer is really exciting," said Kean. "People are not just going for the generic domestic lager anymore. Then seeing the economic impact it has on the community is amazing. The speed at which the beer community is growing is incredibly fast. Sometimes, it feels like we're on a rollercoaster, holding on with white knuckles."

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